


A Romantic Ride

by Engineer104



Series: Fluff(?)cember Power Hour (or Month) [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: "fluff"cember error 404 not found, Angst, Blood and Injury, F/M, Horseback Riding, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27855486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engineer104/pseuds/Engineer104
Summary: Dorothea is both a terrible rider and a cynical romantic, and Ferdinand is very, very injured.For Fluffcember (ha) Day 17: "Horseback Riding"
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Dorothea Arnault
Series: Fluff(?)cember Power Hour (or Month) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035183
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	A Romantic Ride

**Author's Note:**

> very embarrassing how many of my titles have a [article] [adjective] [noun] format. truly

The opera and those adorable chivalric stories Ingrid read would have them all believe that sharing a saddle with one’s lover was romantic. Riding astride the same horse while snuggled together, Dorothea could not deny an appeal, especially for one so inept at horsemanship as her. She could lean back against a broad chest while an arm crept around her waist and clutched at the reins, and it might even be worth the saddle sores. 

Reality was anything but romantic. 

Ferdinand slumped against her back, insensible, mumbling, his blood sticky on his arms as Dorothea struggled to calm and steer his chestnut mare. The beast was at least familiar with her - Ferdinand often pressed her to ride after patrols or battles while they returned to camp - so she could fool herself into thinking they trusted each other long enough to reach their destination.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, Ferdie,” Dorothea said. Somehow she managed to keep her voice calm as she gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the mare’s sides, to spur her as fast as she dared with Ferdinand’s condition. She was blessedly awake and alert, her magic exhaustion fading the instant it became obvious his injuries were too much for her paltry healing ability. 

“I am...well, Dorothea,” Ferdinand assured her, and damn him, but he probably _meant_ it. His hand brushed her waist and his forehead rested against the back of her head. “You ride better than you did,” he mumbled. 

“I’ve been practicing with Ingrid,” she told him, nudging him with an elbow to make sure he listened. “Just in case this...just in case.”

Dorothea had never been foolish enough to believe anyone close to her invincible, especially not a frontline fighter like Ferdinand. If only he was more like the nobles she hated, content to sit at the back and let better men and women die on their orders. 

“I am glad you are...with me then,” said Ferdinand, his voice soft, soft enough she couldn’t tell if it was weak or...tender. His other hand brushed her shoulder, and she pinched her eyes shut to fight the burning tears threatening to spill. 

“Just hold onto me, Ferdie,” she said as confidently as she could. “We’ll find Manuela, and she’ll heal you good as new, and you can bake me sweets again like you did when we were stupid naive students. Wouldn’t that be nice, Ferdie?”

“Would be nice,” Ferdinand agreed, to her relief. “Would also be nice…”

“What was that, Ferdie?” she prompted, her heart skipping an awful beat at how his voice wavered. 

“Would be well...ask you to marry me.”

Dorothea’s breath caught, and Ferdie’s damn horse’s step faltered with her mood. But she gave a harsh jerk to the reins before swallowing the lump in her throat and saying, “Yes, Ferdie. Ask me again when you’re well. It would be more romantic then too.”

**Author's Note:**

> it seems i'm always injuring Ferdinand when i write ferdithea...whoops?


End file.
